suffocate
verb (used with object)
to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
suffocates
-
present tense formof suffocate (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has been accused of being a merchant of negativity throughout his managerial career, a coach whose football suffocates rather than inspires.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2025
However, if there is too much calcium, the mitochondrial processes become unbalanced and the cell suffocates.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 29, 2024
For much of the summer, Lake Okeechobee suffocates under toxic, blue-green algae blooms fed by fertilizer runoff from farms.
From New York Times ● Aug. 29, 2023
In Los Angeles County alone, a baby suffocates nearly every week while sleeping, according to the infant safe sleep campaign from the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
When the awareness of it strikes, a man either suffocates with despair or he turns to cling to his woman, to console and seek consolation.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
